Who Is Kirino Kage?
Well I'm glad you asked. Kirino Kage is the "shadow" of Class 3-4, the introverted shy girl. I have always liked Katawa Shoujo and wanted to make my own contribution to the KS universe. So, I took elements from characters like Rin Natsume(Little Busters!), Tomoko Kuroko(Watamote), and one of my friends in real life to create our lovely Kirino. Affectionately named "Shadow of the Fog".

What made you chose to write a full-fledged original story?
I was originally writing Yuto's tale, and was enjoying all the characters I had created. Yet, I wasn't enjoying the story from Yuuto's perspective, so I chose Kirino and here we are, better off I say!

When will you update?
Whenever I can, my life becomes busy at the drop of a hat sometimes and other times my social life dries up worse than a fruit left in the sun. It may take a while, but I will definitely get around to it.

Without further adieu, here we go!

Table of ContentsAct 1:Rising Son
Scene 1:Caught in a Bind-Scene 1:P.1Kirino finds herself going up against both a test and a person she doesn't like.
Scene 2:A Full-metal Contract-Scene 2: P.1,P.2Kirino is forced to study for the first time in her life, how will she fare?
Scene 3:Baka to Tetsuto-Scene 3:P.1Having to deal with both an idiot and a test. What will Kirino do?
Scene 4:Once Again After Crying-Scene 4:P.1Which will she chose?
Scene 5:A Turkey Sandwich and an Odd Confession-Scene 5:P.1Forced to have a meal with an 'enemy' and a friend, only to find out the one she hates; isn't as horrible as she once thought.
Scene 6:Supplementary Classes-Scene 6:P.1A chance for academic redemption has popped out, will she accept? Who is this new enemy? Who is this hero that has helped Kirino?
Scene 7:Of Ants and Women:P.1A little bit of Interlude before the festival, what lays within the Shadow's Den?
Scene 8: In Desperate need of Sky FishP.1,P.2The festival is finally here. Crappy festival food, some good company, and a secret revealed!

Act 2: Out of Shadows
Scene 1:Lion's Sin of Pride:P.1Out of the shadows of her past, and into the light of an arrogant mistake
Scene 2:Hidden in the Mist:P.1Kirino has a rather interesting and nostalgic dream. Will a little bit of dreaded exercise and a feeling of inferiority be enough for her to step out of her comfort zone?
Scene 3: Sweet Drops P.1"I was lost every day in the hot desert. These tears are not weakness, but sweet drops of love. What a fragile little girl. But sometimes strong. "
Scene 4: Not sure whether I'm going forwards or backwards P.1It's just as hard to be who you are now as it is to change. Does she feel that with every step forward it's just as useless as taking a step backwards?
Scene 5: Squinted Eyes in CuriosityP.1Some go looking for trouble, others often stumble into it clumsily
Scene 6: Stand up to the Feet of GiantsP.1We only know how to commit to something when we've seen it from all views.
Scene 7: When Sea Birds FlyP.1Sometimes we need to learn to walk before we can soar
Bonus Side Tidbits:
Saki One shot(Act 1 Bonus)
Nori Bonus Story Act 2 Bonus

Last edited by YutoTheOrc on Mon May 14, 2018 11:06 am, edited 70 times in total.

Well, this is an improvement over the first version. Just keep in mind that your Main Character can be a Gary Stu even if the story is not narrated by him. Kirino is a much more interesting character than him.

A few minor issues:

She smiles before continuing “Please at least try, to act like you want to be her Yuto

"Like he wants to be her Yuto"? What's that supposed to mean? Miyamoto Musashi has been dead for almost 400 years.

...if anyone catches site of the demonic tattoo...

seeing a girl skip through and smiling in a hall all by herself, would be a very odd site.

probably "sight" - in both cases

My footsteps are the only sounds that can be heard in the near silent hallways, the occasional chirp from birds on the other side of the windows can be heard.

Are they or aren't they?

I can't get over the fact that they're eyes are...

"their" - "they're" is short for "they are". "They are eyes are" doesn't make much sense...

Sounds like you know you're stuff

Same here. As it is this sentence means that she knows she is made up of matter.

I get that Yuto is the name of your D&D character or something, and I'm by no means an expert on this, but even though those syllables do combine to form a Japanese name, I'm like ninety-five percent sure that it should be spelled Yuuto (or maybe Yūto? I'm lousy with diacritics unless it's a word in Mandarin.)

You're right it can be spelled either way, but it also can be spelt like Yuto, I originally got his name from a child musical prodigy;as well as a man named Yuto Nakano; who voices Bernard in Gunslinger Girl-II Teatrino(One of my personal favorite animes).

Thank you, Mirage for helping point out the few things I missed, as well as for letting me know it actually was an improvement over the old one.(Was worried that It was worse :S)

Thank you, Leaty for pointing the other spellings of Yuto out to me. I didn't know they existed before you told me, and I have to admit I like the look of the name Yūto more than the spelling I chose. I hope you enjoyed the story

Last edited by YutoTheOrc on Fri Aug 29, 2014 3:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

YutoTheOrc wrote:You're right it can be spelled either way, but it also can be spelt like Yuto, I originally got his name from a child musical prodigy by the name of Yuto Nakano; a voice actor who voices Bernard in Gunslinger Girl-II Teatrino(One of my personal favorite animes).

He's also listed as "Yuuto Nakano" in some stuff. Bleh. I hate it when that happens.

Leaty wrote:I get that Yuto is the name of your D&D character or something, and I'm by no means an expert on this, but even though those syllables do combine to form a Japanese name, I'm like ninety-five percent sure that it should be spelled Yuuto (or maybe Yūto? I'm lousy with diacritics unless it's a word in Mandarin.)

I agree with Leaty. "Yuuto" is the correct writing if you were going for an actual Japanese name. That is not a given in Fanfictions, so writings like "Yuto" drive me a lot less crazy than, say, characters named "Gage"^^°

Mirage_GSM wrote:
I agree with Leaty. "Yuuto" is the correct writing if you were going for an actual Japanese name. That is not a given in Fanfictions, so writings like "Yuto" drive me a lot less crazy than, say, characters named "Gage"^^°

I probably will change it to Yuuto later tonight, just because I hate when writing bothers me crazy. I remember being lectured about Nebuchadnezzar and the teacher kept saying "Nebu-shnouzdar" and It was irritating me. I'd rather nobody else have to go through that irritation .

PooPoo

poopooface wrote:This very much captivated me and the characters are intriguing, so I look forward to the next installment.

First I want to say I love your name, it made me laugh when I read it. I'm glad you're captivated by my story. I will definitely write more, but the problem is always time. I have a bit of the second scene written out already, so who knows? Maybe, I will have a chapter up by Wednesday.

The Bells of Life by YutoTheOrc/KaiserOrc
Act 1:Rising Son
Scene 1: Caught in a bind

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
As I sit obscured in the back of the classroom, wedged between the back wall and the window like some sort of apprehensive gerbil. I hide myself behind my musty, old textbook casually sifting through my latest book, well, manga— Maschera; Rise of Shikoku. I guess you could kind of call it a piece of literature, but I don’t think my teachers would share the same sentiment.

I’m not overly fond of the whole class thing…or the whole paying attention thing either to be fair. I prefer to take things at my own pace you know? I find that teachers forget what it’s like to be our age,and tend to treat us more like little experiments. I for one will have no part of anything to do with science!

I desperately try to hide away from the classroom and its mad scientist inhabitants, doing my best to live within my own little world; obscured behind my makeshift shelter and the shadows that creep from class corners. The newest volume of a light novel I’m reading came out yesterday and like any true fan I waited in line at the local bookshop to attain my preordered copy. Fending off against the biting cold and the occasional creep midnight finally hit and I could grab the book and slither my way back into the shadows.
I’m still fairly new to this series, but I actually enjoy it quite a bit, I found it late one night while browsing the internet, and well, I suppose you could say I got hooked. Here we are a few months later and I’m essentially playing mental-hookey in class with this book. A young girl’s mind can be the strongest of tools to use in the never ending quest of avoiding class!

Waiting in line until midnight probably~ wasn't the smartest choice I've ever made, as made apparent by my groggy demeanor and grey, fatigued eyes. Even the looks of all the somewhat scary geeks and freaks made me question why I was even waiting for it in the first place. I’m sure I would have been quite content ordering my copy off of the internet, but I suppose it was an adventure. Also, can you really call yourself an otaku if you don’t participate in manga and anime themed events?

Despite any previous doubts I held, I have to say, it was all worth it. After coming back and passing out from exhaustion in my dorm room I could finally relish in my hard-won victory. By the time I woke up I was almost too excited to begin to read it. I was pumped to delve in and see what the author had in store but, I had to go to school. Seeing as I’m dangerously close to using up all my available days of absence it wouldn’t be wise to throw them away just yet.

For a mandatory institution, you’d think that after a certain amount of cumulative hatred that has built up for it over the years, it would have at least been forced to pleasantly change, or at least be scrapped altogether—preferably the latter. I had a plan for this though unable to control myself, I tossed the light novel in my bag and waited for the moment when I could crack it open. That moment arrived in the form of Miss. Okazaki’s history class, one of the only classes where looking like I’m delving into a textbook can actually be excused.

She stands at the front of the class her brown hair tied firmly in a bun, dressed in a very business-like grey suit and matching dress pants, making her look almost as bland as the subject she teaches. To top it off, she completes the ensemble with black high heeled shoes that click harmoniously as she walks along the linoleum; only serving to add to her mature and strict appearance. Almost like a character from one of those seedy doushinji that you can buy from booth tenders at anime fan gatherings. She is the very example of a teacher; formally dressed and strict in behavior. It's almost stereotypical honestly. They say some people are born to be a certain profession, and I guess this is further proof to their belief.

In sharp contrast to the topic she teaches, she is in fact quite young. Her skin is clear, pale and flawless, free of any blemishes imposed either upon her by her childhood, adolescent or even the wonderful world of scars. Her face is almost free of any human facial faults, aside from a pair of dainty dimples when she occasionally smiles; she appears eerily similar to a porcelain doll. Even her graceful glasses are perched elegantly atop her tiny nose, occasionally reflecting a small beam of light into the classroom. Their elegant steel frame, shining against the dull air, bouncing off those weird things that fly in the air when it gets stagnant. What are those things anyway? Dust particles or something? At first, they kinda look like small bugs, but they don’t look overly alive.

Well, when you're not trying to figure out what's in the air, and whether or not it will kill you, you can feel her staring at you. The way someone really stares at you, when you get the hair on the back of your neck standing up, or when you have a weird sensation in the back of your head. The way she peers at you, it's…hard to describe, like a hawk almost? No, more like an all seeing being, really, almost omnipotent, even when she isn't looking at you you can still feel the shadow of her gaze lying over you. Maybe she's an esper, capable of powers greater than any normal person could ever hope to achieve?

I feel myself shiver at my course of imagination. Despite this somewhat boring appearance and, even more, colorless topic, she really is nice. An odd thing to say, especially after visualizing her in such a way, but, it’s almost an opposite feeling once you get to know her.

I don’t think I quite described her in the best of light considering she’s family. Well, she's basically part of my family, not by blood however. She's always been around, even since I was a kid; somewhere between an aunt and a third parent I guess? To be honest, she's one of the reasons my Dad sent me here. My father and her met in university, well to be more accurate, her and my mom ambushed him when he was at a coffee shop. I remember him telling me that one minute he was laying back in his booth, his eyes closed and smelling the cup of black coffee he ordered, then when he opened his eyes he found two girls sitting in front of him nonchalantly. Soon enough he began to date my mom, and Okazaki…well…she just kinda became one of his friends that way I suppose.

Since I was born, she just kind of, stuck around; like an honorary part of the family. She was like a second mother to me, though to be fair, I never had a first mother. It was kind of like one of those plotlines to a shitty show, where everything starts to go well and just to throw a wrench in the plan and stir up some drama, the director springs something up. Well that something, was my mother’s death and my barely out of high school dad, forced to look after a tiny person in a foreign country.

The terrible circumstances and plot twist aside, she stuck around, sticking with my rather odd father and a genetically weak baby. When I was younger she would often come by the house for some tea and a chat with my dad. She would often bring me things like books and toys to play with and read. She'd take me to places like the zoo and out to eat when Dad was at work or busy, it was almost as if we were playing house. It was like a child’s fantasy, a warm fuzzy place, with the cold bitter winds of reality licking away at the outside.

Even though she remains one of the people I'm closest to, I can't say we're inseparable; especially at school. I feel like she takes on an entirely different personality when she steps into that role. It’s like when an actress takes on a role and walks on set, then when she comes off she just seems like an entirely different person, no longer playing a role that she has no reason to. She doesn't favour me over any of the other students, In fact I think she even acts colder and harsher to me; like she's pushing me harder than the others. Cue my social anxiety and fear of being called upon to answer a question, and you have another aspect of a terrible 80s sitcom.
She's been good to me, but despite our relationship; I'm still fairly shy, even around her. As timid as a deer, one might say.

Shaking my personal history aside, I decide to return to the issue at hand, a fight between the Queen of Nightmares and the Protagonist—the eponymous Shikoku. I flip the next page of my book, feeling my thumb run over the uncreased paper and my eyes return to the next segment of the story. The fight scene lasts for several pages, with the protagonist winning--obviously. Despite this, the Queen had him on the ropes and running for his life; I can imagine the anime already animated as it plays in my head. From the effects, the music, even to the character's voices; you might as well hire me to plan the anime out! Might be a pleasant change from the usual swill they've been playing on cable lately. I know late night comedians often joke about how television becomes worse as the year goes by, but I think what they say has a kernel of truth. It’s like the producers only care about money…and conveniently timed commercials.

As my eyes dart from word to word, picture to picture, I find myself lost, transfixed, as the author manages to convey their masterpiece onto paper. Turning a normal fight into one of the epic proportions. The best comparison I can draw are battles like Serizawa vs. Godzilla or David vs. Goliath. It's a fantastic read, one of the better light novels I've read in the past month. Better than that romantic comedy crap that everyone is so into nowadays, like seriously who wants to read about high-school love? I'm living in highschool and I don't even like it.

The world of manga and anime is filled with excitement and awesome things that your mind can barely imagine, it makes me happy. Gives me a chance to escape my boring and dull life. Allows me to experience stories of epic proportions, to see fights between three-headed dogs and demons, to travel across 20th century Europe and solve mysteries, or even go into space! Allows me to fight in giant mechs or play a role in a haunted house. You just don't get the same excitement in regular life. It's as if it were a play written by some old guy with a white beard and a bad taste in drama. Life certainly doesn't have the same kind of thrill, especially, when you're a shy, socially awkward teenage girl, such as myself. If I only had the courage that these characters have, the smarts, the charisma; maybe then, my life wouldn't be so boring. Maybe then I could have at least one friend.

As I find myself getting sucked deeper and deeper into this action-oriented world, filled with Gothic designs, monsters, and a more than handsome protagonist; I lose clairvoyance of the real world. Engrossed within the light novel I don't even notice the events unfolding before me like some cheap comedy act. This world becomes my world, the real fades from my mind as I become a citizen of the world of fiction.

A loud smack erupts from my desk, silencing the room as It echoes off the stone walls. I emit a small squeal in abject terror, not aware of what had just transpired. I let myself flinch, closing my eyes for a second, trying to ward myself of whatever created the loud bang. I slowly open my eyes once again only to look up and see Miss. Okazaki frowning down at me, a look of displeasure, annoyance, and most-likely irritation, evident on her face. She looks quite fearsome as if she is about to let loose on me, the fact that now the entire class has their full and undivided attention on me, makes me quiver in my seat. I can feel their judgement bore into me like hot knives, I do my best to sink further down in my seat, doing my best to escape the unwanted attention. I feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment as a blush spreads on my face, my heart beating so quickly, I'm scared I might pass out.

“Can you tell me who wrote The Book of Five Rings?” She asks menacingly, her voice so sharp that it could cut steel.

I look up at my inquisitor, too afraid to reply. By now my eyes have grown to what feels like saucers and my heart is beating inside my chest with the ferocity of a caged animal. I let out a weak and nervous shake of my head as I try to divert the unwanted attention from me, further trying to hide behind my textbook. The class only lets out a slight chuckle as I squirm and wiggle my way inside my chair. I let out an audible swallow, trying to moisten my mouth, which feels like a desert right now.

Okazaki's face turns from an angry grimace to a slight frown, relieving some of the tension in the room. She sighs” Well, Miss. Kage, If you were to pay attention to my class instead of reading....unrelated material." she says, lifting my book up into the air and far away from my prying hands. "You...just...might...know”. She stresses each word as if she were giving a soldier a command. I feel my blush break into what one would assume was a wildfire, as the class chortles around me.

She fixes her glasses and proceeds to target another inattentive soul.

“Yuuto, do you know?” she asks, directing her question to her next victim. A young boy sitting in his seat, leaning against the white, stone wall behind him. His brown hair covering his eyes, and a relaxed, uncaring emotion shown on his face as he fiddles with a small pink eraser in his hand.

“Miyamoto Musashi.” The boy responds blankly, clearly anticipating the question before she even asked it. He manages to usher in a brief silence before Miss. Okazaki responds somewhat pleased. "Correct.” She smiles as she continues “Please, at least, try, to act like you want to be here Yuuto. As for you Miss. Kage, you can get this back at the end of class.”. She dictates as she points to the book for emphasis, causing me to squirm in my chair even more as I feel the class returning its attention towards me again.

Okazaki turns around and returns to the front of the class, her heels clicking against the linoleum floors with every step; filling the practically silent room with her rhythmic steps. She sets my book down on her desk before clearing her throat and continuing her lecture, as if she were never interrupted.

I let out a small sigh of defeat, and move my textbook to lie flat on my desk. I pick up my pink mechanical pencil and begin to write down the notes scrawled onto the board, in an effort to both listen and pass the time until dismissal. It doesn't take long for my mind to begin to wander, trailing away from my original task.

Who cares about history anyway? I mean, it already happened, do people really need to remember all this? I can summarize the entire history of humanity in just a few words 'Stuff happened', done, and it didn’t even take a few thousand years or one boring ass class.

I give up, I concede to just staring around the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring and dismiss us.

The classroom itself is fairly bland and sparsely decorated, with only one decoration of note—an imperial Japanese flag. It hangs above the blackboard, tacked into place, hanging there limply. It looks very old, bits of the corners were chewed away, from moths would be my guess. The white has long since turned to a shade of yellow and the red has begun to fade away. I wonder how it must feel, bored I would assume. I mean, it has been hanging there probably since the dinosaurs came to class. Dinosaurs went to class right? Yeah, they must have, they ruled the earth for a few million years. Did they have to learn history? If I paid attention to this class, this question would be answered by now! Imagining a classroom filled with dinosaurs, velociraptors, and stegosauruses, sitting in chairs while complaining about writing notes brings me a slight bit of comfort. While being fairly amusing, but like anything history related it fails to hold my attention for more than ten minutes.

I wonder if Toriyama-sama had to deal with class like this? He probably felt the exact same way I do right now. I wonder if anyone in this prison would even recognise his work from a glance. Probably not, kids nowadays don't know the important things.One of the single greatest manga artists of all time and his name isn't revered; a very sad fact. I let out a large sigh and lay my head down on the desk with a slight thump defeated.

Turning my gaze away from the flag, and my mind off of literate, but irritate dinosaurs, I decide to do everyone's favorite hobby; people-watching.

Class 3-4 is a very mixed class, to say the least, It's like the disabled melting pot of the school. Class 3-1 is generally filled with students who can't hear and haven't had the good fortune to develop echolocation. Class 3-2 is for students who need a new set of eyes, Class 3-3 is mainly students who look fine, but who haven't been put together so well; Anaemia, Scoliosis, Carpal tunnel, etc. I guess if Class 3-4 had to be designated as something, it would be the room for those with more physical injuries, namely missing appendages, you know the one’s society calls "cripples". Although there are a few of us who remain relatively intact but are landed here because the other classes are full and haven't had the good luck to be miraculously healed by a genie in a bottle.

The few major players in our class are the legless track star Emi Ibarazaki.

The armless artist Rin Tezuka.

Our student council representative Nori Akiyama; with a voice that can probably match that of an American valley girl.

Saki Enomoto; the school's resident bitch, she is pretty, but her personality is as vile as a demoness'.

Finally, we have the newest edition to our band of educational fools, and misfits—Yuuto Musashi. Or as I like to call him, the prince without a princedom.

That's probably how he knew the answer to that question, they're both Musashis! Yuuto and Miyamoto, I'm going to assume that they're related. Wait...isn't Miyamoto his family name? I'm sure it doesn't matter too much.

Well, he is from one of those uptight rich, aristocratic families; it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to assume he is. I let out a sneer in his direction, squinting my eyes and sticking my tongue out from across the class. Thankfully my sneer goes unnoticed, which gives me a hint of satisfaction at not being caught and given weird looks by my classmates. I can't help but feel a natural hatred for people who have everything given to them on a silver platter; like their entitled almost.

Yuuto joined our class in the new year and has fascinated the student body ever since. He came here due to a big motor-accident. I remember reading about it last year on the web. “Musashi International Banking Firm CEO's family involved in ‘state tragedy’”. It was horrific, enough to stun the nation. Guaranteed, if it was anybody else, the press wouldn't care nearly as much. According to the article; Yuuto, his mother, and his sister were struck by a speeding train when they were crossing the tracks in their car. His mother was killed in the crash. Yuuto lost both his legs and sustained severe injuries, while his sister escaped with a few bruises and gashes, thanks to her brother's “selfless protection” ...allegedly. He was described as the grandson of Takeo Musashi—the incredibly powerful and wealthy CEO of Musashi International Banking Firm, and also a relic from the days when the Meiji Constitution was still in effect. so naturally, the media swarmed them like ants to a snow cone.

Despite the loss of his legs and having to repeat the last year of high school, he seems about as normal as any other teenage high-school student, despite being overly cocky and incredibly good at almost everything he does. Upon arrival, he joined the track team, and soared through the rankings of our school, becoming the number one ranked boy on the team, and second on the team itself. The only one faster is the legless legend—Emi Ibarazaki, and I heard in the common room a few days ago, that he might even be able to beat her! Despite the rumoured rivalry, they're both very similar-- both legless, both a year older, and both relatively popular. Despite Emi however, Yuuto isn't keen on making friends, a few have tried, but he always turns people down. Other than his past and athletic capabilities, he is smart, fairly attractive, all that to boot and he's rich!

Sounds to me like he's the main 'hero' in a Shoujo manga, he's kind of my secret rival. I mean, he is practically my opposite. Smart and athletic, versus my lazy and dumb self. He even managed to beat me in my best subject, which is one of the only academic things I excel in. He beat me by 3% on the last English test, knocking me from the top of the class to second!

My jealousy and spite aside, he does fascinate and intrigue me, while also irritating me all at the same time. He rarely ever talks with anyone, has a very secretive past, refuses to speak of anything before his time at Yamaku—not that anyone has asked, of course, it's like an unwritten rule of thumb here. All of what I know came from that article online. One of his most mysterious qualities, however, is his hand. Always hidden within the confines of his pocket. His left hand, he has it hidden in his pocket all throughout the class and during his free time, even when he is running it's obscured by bandages. Before track practice, or a run he wraps his arms in thick bandages, all the way from his fingertips to his elbow. Which in my opinion, is a fairly suspicious thing to do. I have spent more than a good hour or two (much to my embarrassment) thinking about why it's hidden. I've ruled out the possibility of any burns, his wrist hangs out of his pocket in class, and the skin is not scarred or anything. It's not broken or malformed because it looks relatively normal when he runs, but then again he moves so quickly, it's hard to get a good look. Due to my 'investigation', and my superb detective skills I have deduced that one of two things is wrong with his hand.

The first being that It's tattooed with the marks of a demon, due to a contract he forged after the accident. In exchange for his soul, the demon gave him the ability to be good at anything he wants to be. He can have the power to be charismatic, smart, and athletic. The demon tattooed his hand in the old way—a blood tattoo, in order to track him down when the time comes for his payment. Because of this, he has to hide it within his pocket, because if anyone catches sight of the demonic tattoo he will be hunted to the ends of the Earth by humanity.

The second is, that he is holding an Omamori, that proves he is the chosen one. Chosen to protect humanity in its time of need, only then will it be revealed. An apocalyptic battle will ensue and just when humanity is about to fail, Yuuto will show himself. His cocky bravado and legless nature will turn the tides of war and we will be victorious! The chosen one will save humanity from utter destruction, and be remembered forever, as the man who saved the world.

Whatever the reason for his secretive nature, it's an interesting dilemma, an unfathomable mystery to be sure. A mystery I would like solved, sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, I don't have the gall to go up and ask him. So I'll just sit here curiously, stewing in my shyness and socially awkward nature…

The rest of the class goes by at a turtle's pace, I gaze out of the window, daydreaming about omamori's, demons, and dinosaurs. Okazaki finishes her lecture and assigns some work about the First World War and sets the test date for later this week. I should probably study for that—probably. I'm sure it's easy, I mean the First World War came before the second, so there's a start. I quickly scribble the test date down on a piece of paper and shove it into my notebook before returning to gaze back out the window.

Eventually, the sweet sound of the bell chiming away draws the class to an end, the class erupts into movement and excitement, as people swarm the exit. Eager to leave the boring history room and enjoy the few remaining days before the festival that has everyone in a panic.

Rustling papers and the sound of rushing feet fill the room. I lazily glance up to examine the ensuing stampede. Emi practically bolts out of the room on her prosthetic legs, almost in a puff of smoke; leaving Rin trailing behind her lazily. Rin travels at a slow, stumbling pace, quite the opposite of her legless companion making her seem as if she was in a dream a few moments just before the bell. Yuuto stands up from his desk, stretching out his back and releasing an exasperated yawn before putting his books into his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. Slowly walking out of the room, his metal prosthetic legs clicking and clacking as he walks along the classroom rows. His hand still remaining hidden away in his pocket, giving him a look of calm, and cool behaviour.

It isn't long until the classroom empties, leaving behind only a few people as they mull about. Nori and Okazaki are talking away at the front of the class, seemingly unaware that the bell had just rung.

I slowly pack up my things, which translates to just throwing stuff into it and cramming it all to make it fit. I button my bag up before clutching it in my hands and shuffling forward quietly, my brownish-red twin tails falling forward as I stare at the floor, doing my best to avoid making eye-contact with anyone. I occasionally look up to see where I'm going, only to let my eyes drift upwards for a few moment before I force them back down. Nori is still talking with Miss.Okazaki, about festival business no doubt and our class' participation.

While Nori speaks to our teacher about business, I patiently wait at the front of her desk. Fidgeting nervously and holding my bag in front of me, awkwardly shuffling my feet around hoping that this will end quickly and I can escape back to my dorm. After a few moments of silently standing, my eyes begin to wander.

As they continue talking, I notice my book sitting on her desk, tantalizingly perched there, practically begging for me to pick it up. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to take a little look.

I look back up to the two figures talking, they appear not to have noticed me yet, a sneaky plan begins to form in my head. If I move quickly and silently enough, I can probably grab the book and leave; leaving nobody the wiser. I could go along with my day, finish the book and face the possible lecture about responsibility tomorrow. I weigh the pros and cons in my head, debating the possible consequences. Eventually, I make my decision to enact my plan. I slowly, but stealthily, reach my hand out towards the book, letting my fingers slide over the smooth cover and wrap themselves around its spine like a serpent constricting around a mouse. I pick up the book, and in one fluid motion I slide the book into my bag, making an effort to not let out even a decibel of sound. I look back up to see if I've been discovered, thankfully nobody's the wiser. Nori runs his hand through his buzzed black hair and laughs at one of Miss.Okazaki's jokes causing me to jump a little.

I relax and let out a silent sigh and choose to enact part B of my plan. Slowly, I start to edge my way towards the class exit; trying to imitate a spy from a movie. Doing my best to avoid making noise or catching anyone's attention, I sneak towards the exit like a tiny ninja. Every step causes my heart to beat faster and faster, it begins to sound like tribal war drums beating in my ears. I come within a few steps from the door, feeling my lips curl into a smile; salvation is at hand. I extend a leg to make the last stretch when the sound of someone clearing their throat and tapping on a desk freezes me in place. My blood turns to ice, and I let out a small squeal in fright, my spine shivers and I slowly turn around to face Miss. Okazaki standing there, arms crossed and a stern look on her face. Nori stands next to her, hand over his mouth, eyes shut and quietly chuckling behind his hand.

Laugh it up, it's real funny isn't it.

“Going somewhere?” Miss. Okazaki asks, raising one eyebrow.

Caught. Damn. I shuffle back to the duo, in a state of feeble defeat

“Well sensei, I guess we'll finish this another time!~” Nori giggles flamboyantly in his canary voice. “I love the ribbons you've put in your hair!” He smiles, reaching out and holding one of the white ribbons that hold my twin tails together, causing me to shudder in the process. A small blush forms on my face in response to his action.

"Well I have to go, Hakamichi needs my help with some student council business, see you tomorrow Kirino-Chan!~” he smiles and gives a coy wink, before retracting his hand and skipping out into the hall, leaving the lion to its prey.

I brace myself for the worst, clutching my bag tightly and shrinking where I stand. As I try to shrink myself down to the smallest form possible, Okazaki lets out a large laugh, causing me to open my closed eyes. She stands there chuckling at me, for no reason. Is there something on my face, was it because I was chewing my pens again and got ink smeared on my cheek? She flops down in her office chair exhausted and gives me a coy smile along with a wink. Out of all the scenarios I thought would unfold, I never expected this to happen. This...this caught me off guard.

“You look like a lamb to the slaughter. I just want to talk to you about your grades and how you're doing with your dad being overseas. Me catching you slacking off was a good way of convincing you to stay after class. Or so I thought!” She giggles adjusting her glasses and looking up to speak to me.

I shuffle my feet, and stare at her, giving a shy nod in response trying to up my voice into more than a typical whisper “Y-You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah, your grades appear to be slipping. No doubt thanks to your....extracurricular activities.” she says, pointing to my bag; where she assumes my book has made its way to emphasizing the last two words ."Did you honestly think I didn't see your hand sneak onto my desk?" she chuckles. "Honestly girl,” she sighs and gives her a head a little shake “well, you are your father's daughter. With him it was sticks of gum, with you, it's books"

I tilt my head quizzically and open my mouth trying to form a response. What do I say? I don't think I even have anything to say. I guess some things are inherited, whether they’re good or bad.

“You don't have to act all afraid and nervous around me. I’ve known you since before you were born, hell, I've even changed your diapers!" she jabs at me, causing me to give a slight blush. "You were never this shy when I came to visit you when you lived with your dad, maybe it's the professional clothes.” she gives a half-faced frown and looks down at her apparel. "Maybe a sugarless sucker will make you smile like you used to. Eh, you're probably too old for a sucker anyway.” She laughs, tilting her head at me.

I let out a small smile and a giggle in response, more so out of response than any actually feeling of humour. I don't try to be shy or socially anxious, I just am. The fact that she is dressed for her job isn't helping me either, but at least, she is trying to be friendly. I know what I want to say, most of the time that is. I just have trouble forcing the words out of my mouth.

“Listen Kiri." she says, reverting to my childhood nickname in a gesture of peace." I know it must be hard with your father overseas and all, but you need to be independent and more open to the world. When I went off to university I was practically almost too excited to be away from my parents, living on my own; living every kid's dream. Your father is a good man, better than my own." she laughs at herself.

" He loves you more than anything in this world. I'm sure you're upset that he left you to work on the other side of an ocean, but the fact is no matter how far away he is, he is only a phone call away. Hell, he'd probably swim across the entire Pacific if you were in trouble. If you ever need anything and don’t want to bother him let me know. You already have my number, all you need to do is call.” She smiles, not as a teacher, but as a woman who raised me like her own daughter. It helps me relax a little, better than most others. It's true, that I am shy, and I don't have any friends, but it's hard. Three years and I haven't befriended anyone, choosing to stay in my room like a hermit. Not that I don't want to have friends, I do, it's just, hard for me. Before I get a chance to think some more, I'm interrupted.

“Enough of this sappy business, let's talk about the issue at hand. Your grades. At this rate, you won't pass the next test. From the look of it, you were more interested in staring out the window and checking out Musashi more than anything.” she says, emphasizing her last point with a wink and a grin.

A blush blossoms across my face, and I stutter for words.” Wah, no... I.. It's not what you think. I was....I was...”

“Say no more, I was a teenager once you know. Sometimes you have to check out the merchandise before you buy it.” she laughs.

The blush on my face worsens, and I'm too shocked and embarrassed to form a response. I'm not having this conversation. Am I having this conversation? Why am I having this conversation! Please don't continue. Stop! No more!

She lets out another laugh at my response and moves around in her chair before returning to her original point. "Crushes aside, we need to bump your mark up. I would suggest doing some work, paying attention to class and maybe getting a tutor. If you need I can ask either Akiyama or Musashi to tutor you. They're the top two students in the class.” She suggests, giving me a sly wink when she mentions Yuuto's name.

Oh god. How did I get into this mess! I hope whoever is watching is getting a good laugh at this. I shake an imaginative fist in the sky, where the no doubt flippant observer is howling in laughter.

“No, no thank you.” I say quickly and sharply, doing my best to get my point across. Working with Yuuto irritates me at the near thought, and I really wouldn't want to bother Nori. He has more important issues—namely the upcoming school festival. It would be unfair to burden him any more than he already is.

“I understand your reluctance. Well, my offer still stands should you change your mind. You're free to leave whenever you want. If you want to talk over some tea, give me a call on my off hours. Lord knows I'd like to get away from this damn marking.” She smiles before turning to face a massive pile of history essays, which causes her to grimace. (Mine is somewhere in the middle and is probably a failure.)

I give her a small bow, before leaving the classroom and any further embarrassment behind me. I heave a delicate sigh as I enter the hall and only now realize how thirsty I am. I debate on whether to get a drink here at the school, or wait until I get to my dorm. After a few moments of careful deliberation, I take the option to get a drink here. After all, the vending machines here ought to have more variety than my mini-fridge in my room.

As I make my way towards the lobby which houses our resident vending machines, I notice how barren the halls are. Even after school, it's not usually this soulless, you usually have a few students doing club activities or just hanging out. Though nobody seems to be here. I wonder why? Maybe because the festival is coming up and people want to enjoy the calm before the storm I guess?

My footsteps are the only sounds that can be heard in the near silent hallways, I would have expected to hear the occasional chirp from birds on the other side of the windows, but they too seem to be missing. Fresh spring air, flows from the open windows that line the halls, it smells nice—]if a little cold. The sunlight pours through the glass windows, illuminating the path in front of me. It reminds me a bit of western styled cathedrals, with the large windows and the sunlight pouring in over the carpets.

The school is none so majestic, nor beautiful, but it's prettier than it usually is. It is nice, calming almost; as if the world has stopped to just enjoy this one day. I walk down from the third floor, sliding my hand along the vibrant yellow railing, still amazed by the lack of any activity. I should probably be worried as to why there is nobody anywhere, but instead, I feel a hint of satisfaction. If there are no people, then I won't run into anyone and they won't try to talk to me…or look at me. I think it's a win-win scenario. I almost let a smile lick my lips and burst into a little skip at the thought, but save myself the humiliation that would arise should someone come by, seeing a girl skip around and smiling in a hall all by herself.

My thoughts soon turns from the hallways to my studies, rather, my lack of studies. It would be a wise idea, to instead of watching the anime I have recorded, to instead study. I guess I will just study between episodes instead of fast-forwarding through the commercials like I usually do. I giggle at the foolish idea, realizing I don't have the willpower nor the attention span to do that. I do need to bump up my mark, though, Just how? I could get a tutor, but I don't want to bother Nori, and even if Yuuto accepted, his cocky behaviour and our secret rivalry would irritate me. I'll just look over the homework questions and do a few after I get my daily fix of anime, and most likely finish Maschera. I'm probably just lying to myself in an effort to put off any guilt and panic I have. So far, it's working. All work and no play make a dull horse after all.

And all play and no work, make a dead horse.

Well, that turned fairly morbid. I should leave the analogies to the pros, stick with what you're good at Kirino.

I turn the corner, passing by a trophy cabinet of some kind. I enter into the brightly lit lobby which causes me to wince a little and forced to blink a few times. When I open my eyes to look around the room, watching as sunspots dance around my vision like water spiders in a pond. After quickly looking around the room to examine if anyone was there. After being sure there is no one here, I step into the lobby and head for the vending machines. I think my social paranoia has hit an all new high, I wonder if it's over nine-thousand?

I step towards the two humming metal giants and examine their contents. I gaze through the glass of the smaller sister machine, marvelling at the many drink choices. It contains a lot of beverages, as well as a fair amount of variety (excluding overloaded sugary pop, for obvious reasons), not that I could drink it anyway. After a few moments of careful deliberation, I decide on a particularly colourful, sugarless bottle of orange juice. I insert the code and look up at the price.

Two-hundred yen is displayed on the digital display.

I open up my school bag, and dig around for my wallet, eventually finding it stuck between the pages of my English book. I pull out the anime girl themed wallet and dig around inside for two one-hundred-yen coins. I gently insert them into the machine and hear the vending machine dispense my drink with a loud metallic bang. I throw my wallet back into my bag and pick the drink up from within the machine. The cold bottle chills my hands as I pick it up and hold it against my neck. The cold drink feels nice against my skin, causing a rush of goosebumps to pop up along my body. I twist the cap off of the bottle and then begin to drink it. I cringe a little at the first taste of the bitter liquid inside.

“Blah!~ bitter.” I say softly, shaking my head and sticking out my tongue in the process like a small child.

I take another sip, refreshing me and quenching my thirst. I giggle a little and open my eyes. I instantly freeze in place, almost turning into a statue at the sight ahead of me. Leaning against a pillar on the far side of the lobby, staring out the window towards the school grounds stands a rather familiar shape. His hand is in his pocket and a can of coffee in the other. He looks deep in thought, maybe he didn’t see me yet?

He was the last person I was expecting to see here. That would explain the incredible bitterness within my drink, well probably not, but still. Since he’s not paying attention, maybe I can sneak away without being drawn into a conversation. Another brilliant idea by me! I quickly tighten the cap on my bottle and slowly start to tip-toe away silently.

“Pretending you didn't see me?” His voice makes my blood freeze as I let out a girlish squeal. Slowly turning my body to face him, his green eyes are fixed on me, and I can almost see them shimmer with the thrill of catching some prey. A small shiver runs up my spine as I stutter for words, attempting to work up the courage to reply.

“Kirino Kage right?” He asks, his baritone voice reverberating around the room. He pushes himself off the pillar and starts heading towards me, strutting like a peacock.

As he approaches me I start to fidget nervously with my blouse, shuffling my feet subconsciously. My eyes start to dart around the room looking for a quick escape. My eyes focus on the door at the far end of the lobby. Maybe If I sprint I can escape through the door. Unlikely, he might pursue, and if he did he could easily catch me. I let my thoughts wander for too long and before I know it he's looming over me, hiding me within his large shadow. He is so close I can smell his cologne, it's almost engulfing me. Like a form of chemical warfare. Much to my surprise it actually smells quite good, like a mixture of lavender and sports deodorant. Why am I smelling him? Let alone complimenting his smell? He is the embodiment of everything you're not, your secret rival, an enemy of the state of Kirino Kage! No fraternization with the enemy Kirino! This is a hostile diplomatic engagement, lose no ground!

“I've yet to introduce myself.” He starts off, draining the last bit of his can of coffee and throwing it over his shoulder into a garbage can behind him.

Impressive, but it would have been funny if he missed.

“Yuuto, Yuuto Musashi.” he continues smirking cockily and extending a hand out in greeting. I nervously look down at his hand and debate on whether or not to shake it, but even if I wanted to, I don't think I could. I'm too terrified for a proper greeting, His giant stature is not helping me relax, even in the slightest.

After a few moments of him holding out his hand and my look of pure shock, he drops his hand, realizing I won't shake it—whether out of fear or spite. Maybe a little of both, but more so that of fear. He probably thinks I'm about as timid as a door mouse, which isn't far from the truth. In all honesty, I'm terrified of meeting people, let alone people who are on a whole different level than I am.

“Not much for introductions I see....fair enough. Meeting new people is always hard, especially when that person is a funny looking guy like me.” He laughs awkwardly, lifting up his pant leg to show me his metal prosthetic; doing a little joking jig in the process. They're very shiny, I guess they're made of steel? They look very well put together too, but they don't look much like Emi’s. Maybe his are a new, more expensive model? Which would make sense, considering who his grandfather is, but then again, I’m no expert in prosthetic limbs…

The jig he puts on in an effort to break the ice, somewhat works. Causing me to giggle a little and loosen the tension built up within my muscles.

He grins and continues his conversation, determined to speak- one-sided or not.” So... You're into that manga stuff, eh? My little sister is into that sort of thing, I for one can't get into it. She tried to get me into some, but I just watch to amuse her. I can't get over the fact that their eyes are almost the size of their entire face, it's unsettling in my opinion. Different strokes for different folks though.”

First of all buddy, you don't watch Manga; you read it. Second of all, What~~? Your sister likes manga and anime?

My fear soon subsides and is replaced by friendly curiosity. I knew he had a sister, but I never knew what she was like. I would never have even guessed that she would have liked the same things I do. Setting my fear and social anxiety aside, I decide to talk.

I manage to force out a whispered question.” What's...she...like, your sister that is?”

My almost silent reply causes him to grin as wide as the Cheshire cat. The fact that I gave him a response at all seems to make him joyful. Proud of his achievement, he quickly answers.” With all due respect, she's a lot like you... and a lot different. She's an Otaku in every sense of the word; much to my grandfather's dismay. Sadly, she's a bit of a shut in, and likes to hide who she is behind a veil of an anime or manga character." he begins to bite his lip as he asks himself "Who was she dressing up as the last time I saw her?” His last point was clearly meant for his own thoughts, but it gets me thinking.

He scratches his chin, and rubs his hand through his hair, as he racks his brain. He sucks in a bit of air before hesitantly saying “Errr. Black hair, trench coat, uses a katana and.....and red eyes. No, wait, her eyes and hair, change from.... black to red?” he says more to his own benefit than to mine. Not expecting me to know what he's talking about, let alone reply.

Various animes and characters pop into my head, before finally settling on one particular one:

“Shana? From Shakugan no Shana?” I say, more confident than I was at the beginning of this forced conversation.

He makes an odd clicking sound with his mouth before snapping his fingers to point at me. With a sly grin, he replies “That’s the one! Sounds like you know your stuff. I'm glad at least one of us does.” He chuckles and goes to open his mouth for another response but is interrupted by an odd sound. A mail notification maybe?

He puts his hand into his pocket and takes out a phone and flips it open to look for something. He proceeds to click around on his phone, leaving me to stand there awkwardly, clutching my drink and bag whilst looking at the ground.

“Ughh. Damn. She's gonna kill me.” He sighs before putting his phone away. I look up at his face and he looks nervous now, slightly awkward. His eyes are wide, and his mouth is formed into an awkward, but hesitant smirk. He gives a nervous laugh before saying” Well, Kirino it's been nice, but I got to go. On penalty of death, apparently. Catch you later! Thanks for talking with me!”

Before I get a chance to respond he bolts out of the lobby, almost like a bolt of lightning. Leaving me standing there all alone, mouth open and catching flies. My mouth soon closes and forms into a frown. Well, that was odd, odder yet that he left in such a hurry. Just randomly bringing up his sister to a complete stranger. For what I expected he is not exactly what I thought. Cocky, yes, but very unguarded, or just plain overly sociable. Either way, it changed my opinion, for better or for worse.... I don't quite know yet. Who is 'she' anyway? His girlfriend, while that's not surprising, but this soon? We're just a month into school. Well, he must work fast then. I just wonder who it is. Somebody on the track team most likely, but you never know for sure. Well, either way, I've had my fill of socialization for the week, now to head home. I have a date with a bean bag, sleep pants, and a heap of recorded anime. Guess, I don't have time to study, oh well. I'm sure the test coming up will be easy.

Act 1: Rising Son
Scene 2: A Full-metal Contract
*Just a little edit update as of 2016-03-21, Finals month is coming up so I may or may not be editing more vehemently. Take care all and hope your days are good!*
I take my leave and head for the stairs, a blush spread across my face like a bad rash. I walk up the stairs and immediately begin looking for room 212. Thankfully it's not far from the hall's entrance. I approach the door on my right and read the whiteboard just to be sure.

The next few days went on uneventfully much to my joy. Yuuto still acted his usual self, and I nearly forgot that we even talked that afternoon, the only reason I remembered it at all, was because of its peculiar and rather unexpected nature. It almost felt as surreal as a dream, the memory that remains still clinging to little more than bare bones. More than half the class paid no more attention to me than they would an ant along the path with which they were walking; that would be putting it favourably! Which provides yet another interesting point, almost the entire school isn't even aware of my existence, and those that knew quickly forgot. The fact that Yuuto even remembered me was a shock to the system. Almost four years have passed and It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't even remember my face, let alone name. The days would often fly by like flipping through an old album, and still nothing would change. I wonder if this is why I remained so forgetful, unchanging like the brick on a wall, a thing nobody pays any real heed to. If people weren’t going to remember me, I found myself wondering if there was even a point to me trying in school—in anything.

The test came and went like the street lights flashing by in the window of a passing car, quickly brushed away by the newest set. Much to nobody's surprise, least of all my own, I never did study for the test. I most definitely failed. I'll study next time, though! I swear.

Yeah right.

Like I can manage to sit down and actually pay attention to this boring crap. At least, it's almost festival time, no homework to worry about then! I silently cheer to myself, imagining myself shooting off little party poppers as if I was eight again. The festival itself slowly approaches us, like an old man hobbling down the street; except this old man sure knows how to throw one hell of a party.

It's an annual festival the academy throws. I can't remember the reason why? though, but from what I remember it gets more rowdy each year. I don't think it matters what it's about, rather celebrating it that matters. Each class generally creates some sort of booth or stall. Sometimes it's a game, but most often it's a food stand, which coincidentally is what my class is building. Then again I have no idea what the booth even looks like as I stealthily avoid attention at every turn. Though knowing what I do from Nori, it's bound to be colourful. I can almost wince at the blinding neon paint as if it were more than just a half-baked drowsy fantasy.

"Well Kirino, that's enough thinking for tonight. It's about three in the morning and whether you like it or not, there is school the next day" I sigh, closing my eyes and find myself bracing as I fall into my pillow, mimicking the plunge one would take towards a lake. Before I know it, I'm enveloped by the blackness and swept away by the currents of my dreams.

I shoot straight up out of bed, so quickly that I can almost feel my brain collide with the front of my skull, metaphorically of course. If it really did football-tackle my skull I'd probably be in more than a little trouble.

What if I did, though? I'm sure I didn't, but there's always that chance.

Who in the hell am I arguing with anyway? I wince a little at a slight headache, feeling the blood rush to my head making seeing harder than it should be and sicker than I care to be. Kind of like a chore without the hope of a reward.

"Ughh I got up too fast." I mumble half-asleep to the audience of bean bags and dirty clothes spectating from my room.

I snap my head to the side as I grimace ,sneering at the irritating alarm clock to my left. I narrow my eyes in anger at the one who dared to disturb my slumber. The alarm sits upon my wooden desk, its vibrant red letters boring their way into my eyes as the alarm screeches it's annoying beeps in an effort to incessantly annoy me. I can almost feel the noise reverberate around inside of my ear, acting like a rowdy party guest; making a whole lot of noise and wrecking all that it encounters. I decide to end this confrontation once and for all. I raise my hand up fiercely, readying my strike against Satan's speaker.

“Hiyah!~” I yell, bringing down my hand with the force of a bag of bricks, clicking the button and ending the auditory torment. What's the point of a morning if you don't add a little spice to it, eh? I chuckle to myself and push away a strand of hair trickling in my view, having to pry it from the corners of my slightly damp mouth...

With the battle won, I feel a wave of fatigue washes over me. Is this what I get for achieving victory? Is this the famed heroes welcome I've heard so much about. Or is this just a normal reaction to someone pretending like they're slaying a dragon as they first wake up?

The thoughts of rest and sleep seep into my head and taint my motivations like a curse. I desperately want to head back to sleep, hopefully still able to continue my dreams....undisturbed. I stare down at my blankets clinging to my legs, enveloping them in a warm, comforting embrace. As if to flaunt the idea of an unreachable peace within my mind, the pillows stare up at me, tantalisingly. Man, these late night anime marathons are gonna be the end of me. The effects are starting to eat away at my morning routine as if to emphasise my point I let out a loud yawn and stretch my arms up above my head. I must look like some sort of half-cat half-girl hybrid right about now as I feel my muscles tighten then quickly slacken.

Maybe a few more minutes wouldn't hurt I think to myself, trying to coerce my mind into giving up and enjoying a few extra moments of slumbery bliss. I turn my head to check the time and see if a few extra minutes are reasonable.

6:30 A.M.

The red glowing letters shine back at me and confirm my already bitter thoughts. I need to have a shower and get ready before anyone else wakes up. So, no extra sleep time for me. I have a hard enough time with people looking at me with clothes on, if they saw me mostly naked I probably would die, right there,on the spot. I can already see the coroner briefing my dad.

The coroner lets out a loud sigh, rubbing his hands through his greasy brown hair." Sir, we..we found that your daughter suffered a cardiac arrest." He leans back in his swivel chair, letting his white lab coat sleeves fall back; revealing his bony wrists. Rubbing his hands together once again he continues "There were signs of shock, and most likely terror evident on the victim's corpse. She was found halfway between the bathroom and her dorm room, dressed only in a towel."

"Wa..What are you saying, Doc?"

The coroner leans in closely, balancing his elbows on his knees and sighing "What I'm saying, is that your daughter died of embarrassment."

************************************************************
Let's do our best to avoid any such encounter, shall we?

I let out one last yawn and throw the sheets off my body, and hop out of bed with the grace and elegance of a hippopotamus. Landing with a soft thud, I feel the carpet mould to the gaps between my toes. Wiggling my toes in the thick black rug, pushing aside crumbs and what I hopefully believe are not insects preparing to feast. I groggily drag my eyes across the room and realise how much of a mess it really is . Anime cases and manga lay piled up in skyscraper-sized piles, bean bags and clothes lay scattered on the ground obscuring most of the black rug underneath. Its best described as a mess-ridden war zone, filled with the chaotic accumulation of my hobbies and lazy habits. I think most guys would guess that a girl's room would be clean and orderly, that's more of a myth. Well, in my case it seems to be no more than a ridiculous fallacy. It's probably worse than a boy's room to be fair, not exactly fit for hosting company.

Good thing I don't have any company to host, Oh Ho! Actually, that sounds like more of a bad thing; I let a frown form on my face as I begin to rummage around.

Where did I put my uniform? It's usually on a hook by the door, but both the hook and the uniform are nowhere to be found. That's a bit of a problem, especially when I need to beat the clock and get to the showers. Cue the panic.

I check under my bed only to find a stale bag of chips, no uniform here.

I move aside cases of DVDs and Bluray, throw papers and bean bags out of the way as I search frantically. It shouldn't be too hard to find it, ah there it is! I spot the travelling uniform on the hanger, laid out on my desk. How did I not notice that? Sometimes, my own carelessness amazes even me. I head for the door and the ensuing showers, and realise that I'm forgetting something rather important. I spin on my heel and head back to my desk like a scatterbrained ballerina who forgot the moves to her own rhythm.

“That'd be bad if I forgot that!” I laugh nervously to myself and head back to my bed, carefully setting my assorted garments down on the rumpled sheets.

I turn and face my desk, slowly opening a drawer and drawing out the materials I need. An injector pen, a new needle head, and a vial of insulin are quickly plucked from underneath papers and pens, my slender fingers creeping around like spider legs. I go about my usual routine cleaning and prepping for the injection, wiping down the rather fierce-looking apparatus, watching as it becomes somewhat shinier. I'm almost amazed by how fast and coordinated my hands move around, fiddling and cleaning the various equipment in front of me like a robotic engineer. Though, I suppose if you've been doing this as long as I have—it soon becomes no more difficult than brushing one's teeth. After cleaning everything and assembling the injector pen into its rightful appearance. I slide off my sleep pants, letting them fall uselessly to the floor. Revealing the pale smooth flesh underneath, littered with marks from previous injections—faint, but still remaining.

I pinch my small, fleshy thigh and bring the needle closer, jabbing it into my body with a fluid movement. I wince slightly, feeling my eyes begin to tear up as I press down on the button, releasing my medicated dose. Shooting forth the lifeblood that keeps me alive, a small, but rather significant part of my life begins to course through my veins. I hold the needle head firmly within, slowly counting to ten as I feel my leg throb slightly in discomfort. I slide the needle out slowly, doing my best not to drip, releasing a small, nervous giggle of relief before throwing the used needle head into a yellow bucket for disposables.

“No matter what people say, you never get used to stabbing yourself with a needle.” I sigh before making my way to the door, my clothes bunched up firmly in my hands. “Barely teared up this time too! Guess I'm becoming a pro at this. Kirino Kage; professional insulin injector!” I continue laughing, pulling up my sleep pants with one hand.

I turn one last time to gaze across my room, setting my eyes upon an ornate picture frame. Giving one last small, sheepish smile "Love you, mum."

I sit at my desk, frozen in fear. The sick feeling of failure crawls up from inside me like beetles escaping from a crack in the wall, pouring forth like a thick, wriggling mass of gross. My eyes are glued to the booklet of white paper sitting in front of me, undisturbed, yet disturbing. The red ten percent practically jumps out at me, as it practically pulses out towards me. Here is the bane of my laziness, a complete and utter failed attempt on the history test. Scrawled in large bold red ink, and underlined multiple times is a sentence that haunts me.

See me after class

The words dance around in my mind, creating a horrendous tango of dark thoughts, and frightful scenarios. Ranging from the chastisement I will receive, to jumping out the window to my right in an effort to escape from the upcoming confrontation. How foolish of an idea that is—besides the window is much to small for me to fit through. I let out a loud sigh from my backseat prison, in turn; the class echoes my sigh. They clearly were not impressed with their marks on the latest test either. Then again,the only people I see sitting nonchalantly are Yuuto and Nori, even Saya who sits to my left plays with her blouse ribbon uncomfortably.

I slowly reach out and pick up the booklet, flipping through to admire what little marks I did manage to get—if I did get any that is. The pages have more red sprayed across them, then a horror movie knife. At least, I managed to get seven, no eight marks—out of eighty-two. That’s a what? Ten percent,guess she did mark it correctly, what a shame. I shouldn’t be that surprised really, I mean I did; prioritise anime over an education.

Maybe this is the wake-up call I need? Ya! Finally, a kick in the butt to smarten me up, who knows, maybe that's what Okazaki wants to tell me.

She'll say “Kiri, this proves to you that you need to smarten up. Get your act together and start taking school seriously!”. It's not that bad, she'll probably even give me a few extra credit assignments and allow me to re-do some tests. Starting today I am a new woman! Kirino Kage the otaku, will be reborn, re-branded as Kirino the academic marvel! I can hear the crowds erupt into epic applause at my speech, I give a quick bow(not realising until after, that I also did so in the real world as well), did anyone see, nope, got to be more careful next time. I let out a small blush and slide deeper into my chair, trying to hide from whoever just witnessed that rather sad and pathetic move.

Today is the day that I change; after I read some more of my manga of course. What? I can't just drop my addiction, I have to wean myself off of it. It's like a drug, can't quit cold-turkey. Well, some can, but I'm not one of those people.

What if I’m wrong? What if she gets really angry at me? What if she brings to attention my other bad grades from my other classes. Is it possible that I can get kicked out of school for having such bad grades? I think they do that, I mean it would make sense. My heart drops further into my stomach as I begin to fear the worst, feel the anxiety rising over my body like a thick, heavy shadow. Will I even be able to live my life if they kick me out? I suppose the question should be when they kick me out. I let out an audible gulp and feel my hands begin to shake with a nervous fear. I need something to distract me, something to take my mind of the feeling of uncomfortable tension rising in my body like a rapid boil.

I reach down towards my bag, my hand anxious to pick up the copy of Maschera that lies within. I'm just about to unbutton the bag when Okazaki starts talking from the top of the class. I quietly groan and clasp my shaky hands together, adjusting to turn back to the front. By the look on her face, she seems to be a little disappointing and angry maybe? She's scrunching her face up slightly, and her nose is twitching slightly as she prepares to make her speech. Even her usually ornate and doll-like mouth as the beginning of what looks to be a frown forming.

“Well class, I think it's fair to say this test was a bit of a blunder.” Okazaki states boldly grimacing as she looks at the class, disappointment clearly evident in her eyes.

“Since most of you did rather poorly. We will have a retest on the same stuff tomorrow. I suggest all of you take this chance and study more. You can have a few more minutes to look at your test before the bell rings, however, before anyone leaves I want all the tests handed in.” She stresses the last point fairly menacingly. I can almost see her glare at Saki next to Yuuto. She shifts awkwardly as people start to look at her. It's a well-known fact that she cheated by taking her test home on the last retest we had. A fact that everyone seems too keen on not forgetting.

“Most of the material will be the same as this one, but some questions will be different. Use your time wisely, and don't waste it frivolously. If you have any questions I will be at my desk.” Okazaki finishes with an exasperated sigh.

With her statement over, the class gives a slight, half-hearted cheer at being given the chance for redemption, only to be followed by groans as they realise they need to study more. I feel some of the sick feeling in my stomach subside,sadly it still remains relatively strong. Here is my chance, to turn it all around. I need to do a lot of studying tonight! I mentally brace myself for tonight and picture a studying-themed montage like you see in those Western films.

I choose to spend the rest of class more responsibly, choosing to read Maschera at a later date. Now is the time to hit the books. I dig out my history textbook and crack open to the section of World War 1 and began reading. The First World War was a global conflict centred in Europe and began on July 28,1914...

I read for a few more boring pages before I'm interrupted by the school bell, It's loud ring brings me out of my trance and causes me to jump in fear. I look around to see if anyone noticed me flinch. I don't think anyone has which causes me to relax. The only person who could have seen me jump was probably Saya, doubtful; considering she is putting her crutches onto her wrists, clapping them onto herself like some sort of prison cuff. I wonder how she still manages to remain so cute and elegant despite having sticks clamped onto her arms? I give a shrug of uncertainty before throwing the thought from my head like a piece of trash.

I stack my books into my bag and make for the exit before spinning on my heel exuberantly and realising I forgot to speak to Okazaki. That would have been bad, very bad. It would probably be worse than forgetting to inject myself with insulin this morning. I take a few deep breaths and approach her desk as casually as I can, attempting to force a smile on my face. I can feel the muscles twitch in my face at my nervously forced smile as if It were trying to fight against the very action itself. The class slowly shuffles along, stacking their tests at the desk near the exit—even Saki leaves her's behind.

Okazaki looks up at me and gives me a weird look at seeing my forced smile. Her eyes widen, causing her pupils to dilate, raising one eyebrow in curiosity. She moves her head back slightly and frowns before saying.“What's wrong with your face?”

I drop the fake smile and shrug, allowing her to say what she wants to. I raise my one eyebrow and scrunch my face up as if I were trying to wring water from within me. I take in a breath of air and try to think of the words I want to use to bail myself out of this situation, I lean in slightly and raise a shy finger.

"You can't talk your way out of this one Kiri. Your dad used to give me the same look whenever I was about to nag him. Unlike him, you don't have the charisma or extroversion he did." she snorts shaking her head, forcing my finger to fall uselessly to my side as I let out a puff of disappointed air.

“Doesn't matter either way." she says, taking her glasses from atop her noses and rubbing at the impression left behind. "I do have one question before I start my talk about your studies..again."She raises her own eyebrow and frowns as she finishes "Why did you put the Kaiser during World War One as Kaiser Bun?”

I'm somewhat surprised by her question. That was one of the questions I was sure I got right, I figured they named it after him for his excellent role. Probably, should have looked at the test closer and I would have seen that I got it wrong. Still, it's better than nothing I guess. Besides, Kaiser buns are delicious! I can feel my mouth salivate at the thought of a sandwich served on a nice toasted Kaiser. The bun not the leader. If his name wasn't Bun, then what would it be?

“I-I-It's not n.-named after him?” I ask hesitantly, all the bravado I managed to summon with that fake smile has faded, being replaced by my typical shy demeanour.

“What,no?” She practically facepalms at my response, I probably give her a headache—a bad one too by my guess.

“Don't make the same mistake twice Kiri, please” she continues, “Your grade is now officially failing. Last time I spoke to you about your marks, I thought you would take the hint. Since you didn't, I decided to hire some outside help.” She finishes, looking to see if I have any problem with what she just said.

Wait... did she just say outside; help? She did, Oh god..she didn't...she wouldn't... I feel my heart curl up in a ball and cannonball itself into the deepest pit of my stomach.

Okazaki yells out into the hall trying to get someone's attention ”Hey, Nori. You can come in now.”

Nori. Thank god! I don't think I would be able to deal with it if it was Yuuto. Despite the conversation we had, however, brief it was I still don’t like him. Even though Nori is a bit....eccentric, he's a good guy. If a little creepy at times.

He walks in a big grin on his face and his black-framed glasses perched haphazardly atop his nose. He holds out his arm in a large, exaggerated, grandiose display before saying.

“Kirino-chan, guess I'm gonna be your tutor. At least for a while! It's gonna be so fun!~” he practically yells it at the top of his lungs, his hand gestures reminiscent of a magician trying to pull off a trick. That’s not a bad comparison, considering that’s exactly what he would have done, making the impossible possible.

Okazaki just chuckles as he approaches me and grips me in a firm hug, lifting me off the ground.

Touching... he is touching me. Too close, too close! I can feel myself start to shake, my heartbeat begins to race filling my body with panicked adrenaline. My hands begin to shake, and I feel myself start to go into panic mode. Put me down. Put me down. I'm gonna faint, I feel my breath get more desperate and panicked as he holds me in his arms. I don't like being touched, too much attention. It's all on me! I can't handle it, Can't handle it! I'm gonna die.

The world feels like everything has just slowed down immensely, I can practically feel the eyes boring into my skin like hot irons, both from Okazaki, but from the few remaining students have fully left through the door. I feel my world slowly crash down around me and my vision starts to turn black. Just when I think I'm going to hyperventilate and pass out, he puts me back on the ground. Oh, thank god. I shake my head slightly and hold a hand up to my face, feeling an almost painful burning heat.

I can feel myself swaying back and forth, my breathing is still deep and rapid, desperate almost. My heart still beats loudly and quickly,loudly parading about in my eardrums. The tune is blocking out all outside noises as my mind tries to calm me down and get a hold of the situation. I can still feel my body shaking with fear, and my eyeballs are probably rolling around in my head, behaving like pinballs.

“Kirino-chan? Kirino-chan are you okay? You don't look so good?” Nori asks me, his voice sounds concerned. “Kirino-chan?” His voice is still on the outskirts of my hearing, like something from a war movie.

My vision is slowly returning to normal, but I can feel myself tilt in every direction, I put my hand on a desk and steady myself. I feel ill, as my vision slowly creeps back to where it's supposed to be. My head feels pumped full of helium, and my heart is slowly returning to its normal rhythmic pace.

When my vision finally comes back into a full spectrum, I'm met with the concerned and fearful gaze of Nori and Miss. Okazaki. Oh, joy, now I have to explain my panic attack. One of the many cons of being overly shy, although I do have one thing working for me. I can just play it off as low blood sugar. Yes! That's a great idea, especially because I'm enrolled due to a rare case of overactive and quite possibly deadly diabetes. A phenomenal idea, they'll believe it too. Now I just need to word it carefully and.

“S.Sorry, I'm just a bit lightheaded. Low blood sugar and all.” I softly mumble to the two concerned people, looking at me as if I was dying of something.

Miss. Okazaki lets out a sigh of relief, as she over exaggeratedly collapses into her office chair. I can hear the wheels underneath give and she rolls back a little, but she doesn't seem to care. It appears my little white lie has worked on her but did it work on Nori? I look up at Nori and see him still examining me with concern. A hand grabbing his chin, and eyes wide with concern. He however, will be harder to convince, in an effort to shirk away from a prolonged conversation I decide to whip out my secret weapon—Puppy dog eyes. I look up at Nori, my eyes stretched wide, revealing my reddish-brown irises, doing my best to imitate the stereotypical look of a puppy who wants you to bring him home. At first, he doesn't seem to buy it, but he relents and goes back to his already flamboyant and ecstatic personality.

“Kirino-chan!~ You need to take your diabetes more seriously, you need to keep your blood sugar at a good level! I think I have just what you need!~” He says with a lilt before beginning to rummage around in his school bag. I manage to get a glance in his bag before he finds what he's looking for. His bag is relatively neat, at least in comparison to most high school students. Books and notepads all neatly arranged, the odd thing about his bag is what else it contains. It's practically filled to the brim with sugary-snacks and candy. Ranging from chocolate bars to jelly beans, and Hi-chew to Pocky. He's already hyper and he has that many treats in his bag? Is that what he's going to give me? A candy bar?

My suspicions are confirmed when he pulls out a very vibrant colour of candy bar. It's decorated with a very vibrant pink colour, and what appears to be the picture of a cherry cheesecake. Hi-Chew, an interesting brand of candy. I look up at Nori who is holding the name brand candy bar in his hand with a grin as wide as the pacific on his face. It's unsettling...

“Here Kirino-Chan, have this.~” he smiles, holding the candy bar out for me to take. I reach up and hold it, he lets go and proceeds to button his bag back up when Miss. Okazaki sarcastically retorts.

“Not like I wanted one, ya know?”

“Oh,sorry did you want one?” He asks, clearly not understanding her joke.

She just laughs and shakes her head and her hand, dismissing the idea. She really does have a very specific sense of humour, It's a lot like my father's. It's no surprise to say they became fast friends in college.

I decide to peel open the candy bar, revealing a pink piece of what looks like solid sugar,or plastic. I bring it up to my mouth and take a small bite. Much to no one's surprise, it tastes like strawberry cheesecake. It's not bad actually. It tastes pretty good.

“Seems you two are getting along swimmingly.” Miss.Okazaki smiles from behind her desk. I wonder if she planned this out in her head? It wouldn't surprise me, she kinda reminds me of a Yakuza boss. Always ordering people around, and it would seem her plans always work out. Even her outfit is somewhat Yakuza like. She is wearing a suit and tie, her glasses perched at the end of her nose. Ready to examine each and every detail, planning for every miscalculation and altering her plans within a moment's notice. Maybe, I'm just letting my imagination get the better of me as usual. That's probably the case, although. I turn and look at Okazaki, my eyes narrowed in a skeptical glance and a candy bar protruding from my mouth.

“What?” she asks, wondering what I'm thinking.

“N-Nothing.” I quickly say, spinning on my heel and blushing.Seems I've been caught.

Nori gives a giggle and slings his bag over his shoulder, adjusting his glasses with a sleeve-covered hand.

“Well Kirino-Chan, I'll give you a chance to rest for a little bit, then how about we meet up at my room to study?” He suggests tilting his head questioningly.

I'm not even given a chance to respond, my mouth is filled with more candy than I care to admit. Before I swallow my sugary treat and respond, he does so for me.” Great, well my dorm room is number two-twelve. So show up in about an hour and bring your books! We're gonna study so hard you're gonna get perfect on this test!~” Nori yells, pointing his finger at me dramatically. He looks like he is from some sort of exaggerated cartoon, or like some sort of propagandist. All I can do manage is to put in a quick nod before I feel him pushing me towards the door.

Don't I get a say in this? He closes the door behind me, leaving only one direction to go-,home. Well, okay? See you in an hour I suppose.

I'm left standing in the hall, door to my back and bag held between my hands like some teenager just kicked out of their home. The hall is quiet, almost dead-silent. Seriously, what's with these halls. Are they haunted or something? Nobody is ever mulling about, it's really creepy. I walk down the halls and head for my dorm room, feeling a strong need to steel myself for the upcoming study session with Nori. If he's anything like he is at school, I'm in for a treat,both literally and metaphorically. I debate on whether or not to bring a toothbrush considering how much candy he keeps in his bag, but I chose not to. After all, if he offers me anything too sugary I'm going to be forced to decline. Having low blood sugar is one thing,but having a high blood sugar level can be just as dangerous; especially for a person in my tentative position. I pile away my needed supplies within my backpack: history textbook, notebook, spare paper, pencils, and erasers, I even manage to slip into more comfortable clothes. A pair of blue jeans, and a nice, baggy pink sweatshirt. I button my school bag up, lock my dorm room and head off. Giving myself the chance to sigh one last time.

I approach the boys dorm, school bag in hand and a nervous disposition permeating from within. It looks, at least from the outside, to be an exact copy of the girl's dorm. The stone staircase leads up to the impressive brick building, carefully decorated with a small garden. The entrance itself is nothing special, not like the gates to the academy. Just simple dark wooden doors in a grey stone frame. I walk up the stairs nervously, cautiously glancing around to avoid any possible missteps.

I hope I don't run into anyone, I probably won't. Besides Nori's dorm is on the second floor so I doubt many people will be hanging around in the stairs heading up. Though going through the lounge may prove problematic. I'll deal with that when the time comes. I pull open the wood doors and am surprised by how much heavier these doors are compared to the ones at the girl's dorm. I step in and realize it's almost the same as the girl's lounge. Same carpet, same walls, same kitchen layout, they even have the same green couch that faces the T.V. It's uncanny as if the architects in charge of the school got overly lazy. As I suspected, the lounge is basically empty, almost entirely devoid of all things living. There really is only three people in there, two adults; a man and a woman. The last person in the room is Yuuto, who seems to be having a conversation with the two people. I wonder who they are to him? It can't be his mother, maybe his father and his step-mom? Who knows.

The two adults sit on two stools facing the counter, two steamy mugs of coffee out in front of them. The woman holds onto hers with both hands and has a small smile on her face while the man constantly checks the temperature with the back of his hand. The couple appears to be in their mid-forties. They don't share many resemblances to Yuuto, so it’s unlikely that they’re related, but not impossible. The man and woman have brown hair and eyes that almost seem to match one another. The man looks as if he was dressed for some business meeting, but got sweaty so he took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, and loosened his tie. He probably got sweaty moving around all these boxes, speaking of which. Why is there cardboard boxes stacked at the side of the room? Is somebody moving in here, or moving out? They all have words written in black marker on their sides. Some say “Clothes” while another says “ Bedsheets”. I'm guessing these are the parents of a student.

The mother looks very sweet, her long brown hair trails down her head and sits comfortably on her shoulders, and met with a blue cardigan. She has a smile on her face while Yuuto and her husband?Boyfriend? Are having a conversation. If this is Yuuto's step-mother then why is she helping move boxes, is he moving out? I doubt it, he just moved in, so this must be another student's parents. Then why is Yuuto talking to them and drinking coffee with them? I don't know, one of the many mysteries of Yuuto Musashi. Sometimes maybe it’s better not to ask questions.

“Want to join us for coffee Kirino?” Yuuto asks me, catching me slightly off guard and alerts me to the fact that I was standing in the doorway for far too long.

“Is this your girlfriend, Musashi-Kun?” the woman asks, lifting her coffee mug up to her lips and taking a drink as she looks at me curiously, which only serves to further emblazon my blush.

Yuuto gives a slight chuckle before dismissing her claims with a wave. What? Why is he laughing? Am I not good enough?I'm not interested, but I'm a little offended.”No, no, we're merely classmates. Although I am curious as to why she is in the boys dorm.”

Ah yes, the question I, at least, was expecting.

“N-Nori offered to study w-with me.”

“For the history retest tomorrow?”

I nod my head in response.

“Well, then best of luck studying you two. I'm gonna finish my coffee with the parents of our newest resident before heading off to study myself.” he says, lifting his mug held in his free hand to his lips.

“We're Mr. and Mrs. Nakai, our son has transferred to Yamaku recently. We're just moving in some of his stuff today to make a few small loads as opposed to one giant one, makes it easier on us this way.” the woman smiles, giving me a bow. I return it in curt before introducing myself. “I'm Kirino Kage, pleased to meet you. All though you..you... already knew that.” I stutter awkwardly. Way to go Kirino, you messed up an introduction. I blush nervously at my awkward, shy behaviour.

The woman just smiles at me as I shift uncomfortably, her brown eyes are very motherly and her voice carries the same tone. “Good luck on your test tomorrow Kage-Chan.” The woman says before returning to her conversation with Yuuto and her husband.

I take my leave and head for the stairs, a blush spread across my face like a bad rash. I walk up the stairs and immediately begin looking for room 212. Thankfully it's not far from the hall's entrance. I approach the door on my right and read the whiteboard just to be sure.

Nori Akiyama : D

He drew a smiley face on his whiteboard? That is so....Nori, I roll my eyes and lift my hand to knock.

Knock,Knock

My hand raps against the wooden door twice, announcing my presence to the person inside. I'm barely done knocking when Nori rips the door open, causing me to gape like a caught fish ripped from the water by some sort of grinning animal. I'm a little shocked at how quickly he opened the door,no, I'm more than a little shocked. My eyes are opened wide, my mouth open and my brain frozen as I stare at the boy in front of me. He's still dressed in the school uniform, although less formal. His green jacket is thrown onto his bed, his tie is hanging loosely from a bedpost, his dress shirt is untucked in places as well as his collar is unbuttoned and loose.

He looks very informal, I'm not used to seeing him this way. Usually, his clothes are in perfect display, tie straight, jacket buttoned up, shirt tucked in. The only things that stayed the same, are his buzz cut brown hair, glasses, and his Cheshire cat grin. I gue everyone enjoy relaxing in their down time.

I walk into his room as he closes the door behind me. The room is very clean, his bed is made, no clothes are on the floor, clean television, and the table in the middle of the room is sparkling. He has his notes and textbook laid clean and orderly on the table, as well as a shelf for various assortments of snacks, ranging from candy to chips. He even has a mini-fridge! Something I wish I had in my room.

! His room is very...Nori. He has pictures of bands on his walls, most of them are western bands,promoted by the fact that the titles are written in English.Their names are written in a heavily bolded font that makes them stick out, but the posters seem a little off. They don’t quite look like typical posters you would buy in a store. They look much more rugged and different than a traditional glossy poster, almost as if it was printed off on paper. I'm guessing their metal bands based on their names. Strange, I would never have pictured Nori as a metal fan. It's surprising, to say the least, I would have expected pop, maybe a little rock, certainly not heavy metal.

I can’t help, but feel myself staring more at these posters, my eyes find their way trailing to the corners were each of them have a small, but nearly identical signature, written in black sharpie and sometimes smudged in the corners of words.

K.Akiyama

I wonder who that could be, does Nori have any siblings?

“Welcome to my humble abode!~” he giggles drawing me out from my inquisitive glare. He opens with an over dramatic bow that looks to have better suited to a Tim Burton film..”Have a seat, would you like some tea? Maybe some of my own creation?” He asks, his voice taking on a more daring tone as he finishes.

“No need to talk so quietly, but yes! My own creation. Would you like to see?” he asks excitedly, leaning in to face me. He motions for me to step into the room and have a seat at the table before he closes the door behind me gently.

I give a small, rather meek nod and he walks over to the mini-fridge, pulling out a metal thermos. He walks over to the small table, plopping down beside me. He twists the lid off the small beat up thermos, before he pours an odd looking liquid into the cap. Vibrant green liquid comes out, it looks to be glowing almost. It has the odd property of reminding me of some sort of toxic waste spill, some chemical byproduct created through a series of experiments.

“Ummmm...W-What's in it?” I ask, concerned for both mine and his well being. If he says Uranium I swear, I’m getting up and walking out of this room, grades be damned.

“Hmmm.” he says putting a pensive finger on his chin as if trying to remember. He doesn't even remember what he put into his own drink? Isn't that a tad dangerous?

“Oh yes! Pop, Energy drinks, and a little bit of sugar.~”

'Energy drinks', plural! He has more than one in it? That can't be healthy, that’s gonna cause a heart attack. I would rather not drink that, I don’t think anyone can let alone should. I feel like even if I had half a mind to try something like that, it would be flirting closer to a chemically induced death that I’d rather avoid.

I shake my head and grimace, my eyes looking down at the faintly glowing green concoction.

“Suit yourself.” He shrugs before drinking the lid filled with his deadly ‘potion’. My eyes widen somewhat in horror and I brace myself as if he were just about to collapse and start seizing on the floor as his body reacts to a drink that very much looks like it could cause superpowers.

“Is it even safe to drink that? Won't it cause a heart attack?” I ask.

“Maybe. It helps me keep awake and full of energy! Don't want my narcolepsy to get the better of me!~” he giggles triumphantly.

Would that even stop a narcoleptic episode? I think I remember our science teacher Mutou saying that caffeine doesn't make you wake up, it just helps you forget you're tired. Either way, that much caffeine(not to mention the other chemicals) are more likely to cause a heart attack then stave off narcolepsy. It's probably not a good idea to drink that, although It would explain why he is so hyper despite his current situation. Besides, does narcolepsy even work like that? He should probably stop drinking that, for both his sake and everyone around him.

He puts the lid back on the thermos and sets it aside, maybe he heard my thoughts? Doubtful.
“So, let's get down to studying!” he says ecstatically, and gesturing to the books in front of him.

I unpack my things and lay them down at the opposite side of the table, I slide away from the ball of energy and into my own zone. I like my personal space, more than most. I find myself relaxing more as I move to a cushion directly facing him as opposed to right next him, I’d rather not come across as rude, especially when he is offering to help me; but I’d rather be sitting farther away from a person I barely know and that just consumed some toxic waste.

“Okay, I have a plan for us! First, we will read the section in our textbook about the war, write down definitions and awesome facts. Then we will quiz each other on what we wrote down. After that we will do the test at the end of the chapter, mark it then, we will unleash my super secret weapon. After we order a pizza though! My treat, have to look out for my tutoree after all.” He says the whole thing so quickly, I have trouble discerning each word from one another. I think his drink just made a hyper individual much more than any language could ever describe.

“ Hopefully, someone doesn’t steal it like last time!~” He yells more calmly down at his feet, which causes me to jump and bump my knees on the table.

I hear a nasal voice come from below us, no doubt from the occupant who lives in the room below. It’s strange, I didn’t think people could hear each other so easily through the walls. I can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone from around me, and they haven’t complained about me.

“Hey man, I said I was sorry.” The nasal voice yells from below us. “I needed the energy boost to fight the feminists! They would have got me for sure if I didn't eat that pizza man!”

Feminists? What? I find myself slowly raising one eyebrow before turning to look over at Nori questioningly.

“Ya, okay Kenji~! Whatever, just not this time 'kay!~” He says to the boy below, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Kenji? Kenji Setou? Him? He still goes here? The last I heard about him was when he yelled at our Student President Hakamichi, about how student IDs are degrading. I don't even remember, all I do remember was that he didn't know she was deaf and it was a harebrained argument on his part. I am slightly weirded out how he ate Nori's pizza for a 'boost to fight feminists' though.

“Sorry about that, he's the odd person in this dorm. The hikkomori of our dorm.” the mention at the word hikkomori makes me blush. I guess I'm that weird person in our dorm, at the very least I'm tied with Rin and Hanako. The former is weirder than mystery meat, and the latter is even shyer than I am surprisingly.

“I heard that! That hurt my manly feelings, man!” The nasal voice yells from below, it sounds almost like he is angry.

I look over at Nori who sighs than face-palms, creating an audible slap as it hits his face. He shakes his head and begins to read the textbook ignoring the creature below, I take that as my cue to begin as well.

Two pages of definitions and one of 'awesome facts' later, we begin to quiz each other. Surprisingly, Nori makes studying fun;well about as fun as studying can get. He makes me laugh and smile, he baits me out of my shy shell like some sort of master animal tamer. Before I know it, my voice reaches normal volumes and I stop stuttering.

I think for a little while. I know the name is Sofia, so the capital is Sofia. Bulgaria? Bulgaria! The answer is Bulgaria.

“Bulgaria!” I say, almost shouting. I soon realize I'm standing, a blush creeps across my face, and I dart back down quickly.

“Good job Kirino-Chan! Now try me!~”

I nod, and think of a good question before coming up with something close to home.”When did we join the war against Germany?”

Without missing a beat, he responds “Japan declared war on Germany on August 23,1914.”

“Wow, you're good!” I say astonished at how quickly he answered, he didn't even think about it. He just knew.

He giggles and thanks me with a quirky grin. After we throw around a few more questions and definitions, Nori and I start the chapter test, which is actually pretty easy. I know most of the answers, and the ones I don't know are involved in other questions. Before I know it I'm finished and we're marking them. Unsurprisingly Nori gets perfect, I do very well myself, a seventy percent! Nori really is good at studying, I'm even surprised by how much I have improved. After much applause by the two of us, and further laughter Nori declares it is time to order pizza.

“I declare that it is time to order pizza!~” He laughs before pulling out his cell phone and calling a pizza place and ordering a large pepperoni. I guess he orders pizza a lot, he has the phone number memorized. He twirls his phone around in his hand as easily as if it were a plastic pen, before sliding it back into his pocket and falling to the floor with a constant grin.

“The order is in, they said it would take about an hour for the pizza to get here.” Nori says before leaning across the table and staring at me, his grin now forming some sort of confused expression.

I give a curt nod, and find myself wondering what this 'secret plan' he has is. Is it a machine that gives you the knowledge of whatever you want to know? Maybe it's the retest? Okazaki wouldn't give him the test to help me, would she? No? Would she? I twist my face in thought, I guess I will have to wait and find out.

He looks at me from across the table, his expression still one of puzzlement. I tilt my head in response, wonder why he’s staring at me. “Kirino?” He asks, his voice more serious and less high-pitched than it’s usual tone. He dropped the honorific, which seems odd for him to do. I give him a small nod, urging him to continue. “You look really pretty, but why do you always hide?” He asks sincerely, his gaze moving to meet mine.

”Thanks?” I say, somewhat confused and a tad bit creeped out.

He lets out a rather deep sigh before returning to his typical high-pitched tone “And your hair, it’s so much better than mine.” He puts his tongue out and giggles like some sort of school girl “It’s all buzzed and gross, sure it’s good for baseball, but it’s all so lame.” He gives a short chuckle as he runs a free hand through his short brown hair and rolls his head around before facing me again

“Kirino-Chan? Can I play with it?” he asks flamboyantly, and ushers in a puppy dog eyed request, seemingly asking as if he knew me for far longer than he actually has.

I debate on whether to let him do it or not, I suppose we have grown to become friends, even in the short time we have known each other. He’s a good person, if a bit odd, I’m not sure I can quite get a proper reading on him. If I was to say something definite about him, though, it would be that he is, honestly, a good person. Normally I wouldn't let people touch my hair, let alone a guy, but since it's Nori,I suppose I can make an exception. Especially since he is paying for my meal, and helping me study.

I give a shy nod and sit up straight and begin to fiddle with my hands in my lap. He crawls over and sits behind me and reaches out a tentative hand to touch my hair. I shiver at first as he touches my head, but then I relax and feel a nervous blush creep to my cheeks. It's actually pretty nice, really. He begins to take out the ribbons in my hair, which causes me to look back questioningly. He just gives me a toothy smile and turns me back around. After he removes the ribbons, my twin tails fall to the ground and he begins doing whatever he is back there. Moving around hair, styling It I guess. What is he planning on styling it like though Is the question?

“You're going to love this look. It's going to make you even prettier than you already are!~” His flamboyant voice booms around the room, practically reverberating off the walls .

After a few moments of Nori's brushing it with a brush I didn't even know he had. He said he had longer hair last year, but frankly I don't believe him. Nori announces with great exuberance that he has finished and offers me a small mirror so I can look for myself.

I gently take it from his hands, nervously, unsure of whether or not I’d approve of his actions. I slowly raise the mirror up to meet the reflection of an awkward looking girl, with confused burgundy eyes. I feel my eyes open slightly, amazed by how small a difference can make when it comes to appearance. My head looks slightly more mature and less childish.

I turn my head slightly and reach out to brush the ponytail fashioned into my hair, running my hand through the silky hair. I reach up to gently tug on the white bow holding my hair in place. He did a good, no, spectacular job. It may not seem like he did much at all, in fact, he really didn’t, but sometimes a new take on the old is just what something needs. As I look at the awkward and somewhat blushing girl gazing back at me I realise that I look older, slightly more mature. I never really cared to style my hair, even when I was younger, it always stayed more or less the same.

When I was growing up, my dad wasn’t much of a stylist or fashion guru, so he always just kinda put my hair into two dilapidated tufts on either side of my head that rarely ever looked equal in size. Some of the girls at school made fun of me, teasing me for the tufts sticking out at either side of my head. I remember coming home in tears most days to a panicked looking dad and crying about “my stupid hair”.

After a while I came home to a box sitting on the kitchen table and my dad smoking a cigarette as he cooked dinner. He told me it was for me and when I opened it it was a pair of pink ribbons. I was confused at first, I didn’t know what I was going to do with a pair of ribbons. He just laughed and let out a puff of smoke that may have rivalled that of a dragon. He came over and tied them into my hair where the scrunchies were. They weren’t perfect, my twin tails were still dilapidated, but now they felt special in their own little way.

When the kids used to tease me it bothered me, but after that day It didn’t bother me in the slightest. My dad bought these ribbon for me to enjoy, and they meant a lot to me. Over these they would have to be replaced, they’d get lost or fall apart with age on a good day, or stolen by the kids at school on a bad day, but it didn’t matter. Dad would take me out and we’d pick out a new set and I’d be good to go. I guess I kept clinging to that memory, even when he moved away, like a reminder of him, of our life together.

I let out a small sigh as I run my hand through the ponytail fashioned for me, giving a sort of half-frown.

“What’s wrong? Oh no, you don’t like it do you!” Nori says, a bit of embarrassment and shame in his voice. I quickly shake my head, “No, it’s not that.” I say softly trying to dissuade him from worrying. He gives me a puzzled look before I explain.

“It’s just I had that hair for a...long,long time. I-It’ll be a while before I get used to it though. Thank you .” I say, turning around to face him, giving him a small and courteous bow in gratitude.

He gives me a look of embarrassment before grinning and giving me a happy thumbs up before checking his watch.

“Well gorgeous, I need to go see if the pizza has arrived. So stay right here looking fabulous, I'll be right back.” He says, grabbing his wallet and heading out to meet the pizza guy and closing the door softly behind him.

As Nori leaves I give a small wave and blush at his compliment. I think Nori and I are friends now, it's been awhile since I had a friend. Since middle school, I think, before Dad moved away. It's nice, I'm glad Okazaki pressured me into being tutored by him. He’s a good guy, and great with styling. Who knew?

I mean his hair is so short you couldn't even do much other than comb it, and even then it would mostly before for nought. Well, he did say his hair was longer last year, I guess it could be possible. The fact that I'm even more surprised about, is how quickly he got me to come out of my shy demeanour. It’s like trying to draw a turtle out of its shell and into the light.

Nobody can really do that, I guess Dad can, but he's my Dad. Even Okazaki has trouble drawing me out, and I've known her since before I could walk! I guess Nori is just one of those people, and I guess I'm his friend. We are friends, right? That wasn't too fast was it? Can being friends be measured in time? A few hours ago I almost had a panic attack because he touched me, and now I can allow him to touch my hair. I'm sure we're friends. Are we? I suppose I will ask him when he comes back.

I sit at the table and glance around his room, now that I finally have a chance to examine it in further detail. He must have spent a lot of time cleaning, and putting up things he likes, doing his best to express himself in the small world he’s carved out here.

There are posters of his favourite bands taped up on the walls, shelves filled with awards, ranging from academic ones to baseball awards. I didn't even know he played baseball, let alone that he was good at it. Wouldn't that be difficult? I mean, he could fall asleep at any time, when the ball is pitched to him, or even when he is pitching. Despite that, he played, and excelled in it it seems. Nori doesn't seem like the type to let his narcolepsy define him, he just goes on and does what he does. That seems to be an important part of his personality from what I know. Just from meeting him personally in the last few hours or so, or from the chance observation of his life that I’ve witnessed it could almost seem that he isn’t the least bit bothered by narcolepsy.

I look around his room, my eyes rolling over the stray pillows and tidy bookshelves I come across a small picture on his nightstand. It shows him with a group of people, I guess they're his family?

Two adults stand behind him, one hand on each of his shoulders. I'm guessing they're his parents. His dad looks like a very serious person. Tall and looking fairly strong and sturdy. His square jaw thickly lined with stubble, slicked-back black hair and a pair of silver glasses perched atop his nose professionally. Nori's mother seems very elegant and motherly, almost the opposite of his father. Unlike him, she is smiling and has long brown hair tied back with a green ribbon just behind her neck. Her face beaming with motherly care and affection, from her smiling eyes to her comforting smile. She seems really nice, I wonder how his parents met? Looking so opposite to one another.

Nori in the photo, does to my surprise, have longer hair. It's not very long, but it still reaches his chin, he also looks significantly younger. When was this taken? Maybe back during middle school?

Nori stands beside two children who are holding hands and looking at the camera curiously. The small boy seems less interested than his female counterpart, who stares almost in horror at the camera. I'm guessing they're his siblings.

The girl is so adorable, she stands holding her brother's hand and looking very shy as she reaches up to hide her mouth. Her black hair hangs over her forehead and between her eyes, ending where her nose begins and the back hanging just behind her head in view. Her large black eyes look at the camera as if she was terrified at the situation. It's adorable!

Her brother, on the other hand, is not quite so cute. The bottom half of his face is obscured by a black neck warmer leaving only his eyes and the top part of his head showing. His brown eyes are staring at the camera as if he was trying to intimidate the cameraman—which he probably did. His black hair is gelled up into faux-hawk-like style, very delinquent of him. He is dressed about as fancy as the rest of his family, sporting a suit like his brother and father, except he shows barely any skin. Even his hands are obscured, he wears fingerless gloves and holds his sister's hand gently. He looks kinda funny, trying to act tough in front of the camera and protect his sister from any harm.

It would appear Nori has a very interesting family. I wonder what they all look like now? I wonder if his brother still dresses like that, is his sister still frightened by things as easily. I wonder if Nori was the big brother they wanted him to be? My thoughts are interrupted by the knocking on the door and Nori walking in briskly, box of pizza in his hand and his defining smile on his face.

“The pizza has arrived!~You won't believe how I got it either!” He laughs, setting it down on the table as he flops onto a cushion with an audible plop.

“How did you get it then?” I ask, more for his own amusement than what I care to have described.

“Well, when I got downstairs the pizza man already delivered it. It was sitting on the counter being guarded by, guess who?”

“Who?”

“Our classes' mystery,Yuuto!”

“Why did Yuuto have the pizza?” I ask, a frown beginning to form on my face and scepticism evident in my voice.

“Well apparently, he was seeing some people off and the pizza guy came and said he had the pizza to deliver. So Yuuto paid for the pizza and brought it in to wait for the one who ordered it. I came down and he was guarding it, he asked me if it was mine and I said yes. He was like 'cool', then he wandered off! He didn't even ask to be paid back, before disappearing into his room.

“Well, that was sure nice of him.” I reply blankly, wondering if he spit into the food or something equally as rude.

“It sure was. You know, he's not as mean as people say. I think he gives off the wrong impression.”

“Wrong impression.” I mumble to myself, repeating the words.

“What was that?” Nori asks, already opening the box and taking a piece for himself to eat, the steam rising from the box as if he were opening an oven.

“Nothing.” I quickly say, trying to shake my thoughts from my head. “Thank you.” I smile back at him.

“Don't thank me. Thank Yuuto!”

I grab myself a slice of pizza, just as Nori is grabbing himself another. I start to eat my first piece slowly, nibbling at it and taking small bites as well as sipping from the can of juice Nori gave me earlier. Nori stands up, brushes his hands on a paper towel and says.” Now, this is my secret weapon. What makes history fun for me.” He takes a deep breath, creating some anticipation within the room.

“Movies!~” he says, taking a stack of DVDs from underneath his bed sheets.

“We can watch movies until you head to your room for the night, they're all about World War One as well! So we get to learn while enjoying a good movie!”

Nori starts to read the movies off to me as I look at the cases he shows, wondering if they have any relevant information to the subject or are all just fiction.

“All Quiet on The Western Front, Baruto no Gakuen, Joyeux Noel...” The list goes on, but after reading the covers and deciding on one. Nori puts it in the DVD player and we begin watching it on his box T.V.

We spend the rest of the night watching movies, eating pizza, and drinking juice. Nori falls asleep unexpectedly halfway through the second movie and wakes up during the end of the fourth one; to which he apologised profusely for. Eventually, time comes for me to go home and head back before curfew. Nori bids me goodbye with a hug and says that we should hang out again. I walk home as the moon rises in the background. I find myself wondering how prepared am I for this test? I never did ask Nori if we were friends. Are we? Who exactly is this new Nakai kid moving in tomorrow? Is he in our class? Does this hairstyle look good on me? Eventually, I throw the questions aside, and calm down for the rest of the night, choosing that too much excitement in one day is more of a bad thing than people care to admit.

Okay, I suggest you cut back the exaggeration a bit. For example, turning off your alarm clock doesn't have to be a battle every morning.
It's fine to put something like that in a story once or twice per chapter, but - at least for me - it gets tiring if I read it half a dozen times in the first paragraph alone:

...can feel my brain collide with the front of my skull.... its vibrant red letters, boring their way into my eyes ...the alarm, screeches it's annoying beeps-in an effort to incessantly annoy me.... feel the loud beeps reverberate around inside of my ear... acting like a rowdy party guest-... and trashing the joint. ... end this confrontation ... my strike against Satan's speaker.

A few technical remarks:

It lays upon my wooden desk...

You might look up the distinction between "lie" and "lay".

...Kirino Kage...

Strange name... Did you look up the meaning?

The red F practically jumps out at me, I can almost see it pulsing.

I think in Japan tests are graded with a percentage scale.

Kaiser Bun

I can barely guess what the joke is supposed to be, but I doubt it fits in the context of a Japanese school...

“Not like I wanted want, ya know?”
“Oh,sorry did you want one?” He asks, clearly not understanding her joke.

I have no idea what the joke is supposed to be here.

The nasally voice

I take that as my Que to begin as well.

cue

Wouldn't the be difficult? I mean, he could fall asleep at anytime, when the ball is pitched to him, or even when he is pitching.

No. Narcolepsy doesn't work that way.

I guess their his family?...I'm guessing their his parents.

"They're" - both times.

All Quiet on The Western Front

I hated that book

I don't want to seem to be only criticizing - your characters are quite original and interesting (when they're not trying too hard to be funny), and the story has me interested as well. Looking forward to the continuation.